Indore: The employees and staff of 108 Ambulance services went on strike again on Monday after not being allowed to join their duty by Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd, a company that operates emergency ambulance services in the state. The employees who started strike from Saturday night had ended it on Sunday evening after chief medical and health officer intervened. But they struck work again as company prevented them from joining their duty.
Meanwhile, CMHO Dr HN Nayak said Ziqitza Healthcare has been given two days time to solve the issue. “We will take action against the company as they are responsible for operating the emergency ambulances. We will lodge a complaint and FIR against them if any untoward incident takes place due to their disputes,” he said.
Ziqitza company has made alternate arrangements and has started ambulance services without paramedical staff. As result, accident victims are not getting treatment on the spot but at the hospital only.
Divisional president of 108 Ambulance Employees Association Yusuf Shah said, “We were ready to join the work after the intervention of CMHO but the company officials didn’t allow us to get back to work. They had promised to retain the employees on hold and also those on strike but refused it on Monday morning.”
Shah said that the company officials had made a settlement with the employees in presence of National Rural Health Mission’s deputy director and assistant labour commissioner on April 11 to retain the employees and to meet demands of providing salary on time but they backtracked. Ziqitza Healthcare official Manoj Pandey didn’t respond to Free Press’s phone call and sms to comment on the issue.